Israeli settler killed in West Bank

Gunmen kill the man in shooting attack near an Israeli settlement in the West Bank.

24 Dec 2009 16:14 GMT

Fate of the settlements has been one of the thorniest issues in Middle East peace talks [Getty Images]

The West Bank has seen little violence in recent years as Palestinian security forces have deployed in cities across the Israeli-occupied territory.

Nearly a half million Israelis live in dozens of illegal settlements scattered across the West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories occupied in the 1967 Six Day War that the Palestinians have demanded as part of their future state.

The fate of the settlements has been one of the thorniest issues in past rounds of Middle East peace talks, and the Palestinians have demanded a complete halt to settlement building ahead of any new round of negotiations.